How to Use Trending LinkedIn Hashtags to Grow Your Follower Base

Written by Diana
Written by Diana

Content Writer

#SocialMedia is all about #Networking. All with a pinch of #Innovation in a world ruled by #DigitalMarketing.

You must’ve recognized the hashtags instantly and tried to click on them. It’s true, this is a construction that would make more sense on social media platforms where you can actually click on hashtags. In this case, it was just an example that had the expected result. This calls for a question to be addressed:

What’s the first social media platform you associate with the word “hashtag?”

Was your answer Instagram or Twitter? Was it Facebook? Or did your mind instantly wander to Linkedin and Linkedin hashtags?

You might ask yourself, though, how do hashtags work on #linkedin? Is LinkedIn the most appropriate platform where you should be using them?

There used to be a time when hashtags were most commonly used on Instagram and Twitter. Yet, they made their way to Facebook as well. Even if this social media platform is not the first one to think about when you mention hashtags.

And out of all the platforms one can use, there’s also the case of Linkedin. LinkedIn hashtags haven’t been around for that long, but they seem to win a lot of ground on the platform. You might think that LinkedIn is more suitable for job seeking or networking. But, as times have changed, things also changed in terms of LinkedIn content. And this is where hashtags present themselves.

Are you ready to find out how to use trending Linkedin hashtags to grow your network base? Stay tuned, because we’ve got you covered.

What Do Hashtags Do?

What do linkedin hashtags do?

What is one thing that Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin have in common? Apart from being social media platforms, they have a symbol in common: #. Now think about one of the most common words you’d see added to a trending hashtag. Let’s take digital marketing as an example.

Now, add the # symbol in front, remove the space between the words and capitalize the first letters. You’ll get #DigitalMarketing. But what does this construction do specifically for any of the mentioned platforms?

One of the first things that hashtags do is group your social media content. In this case, we’re talking about topics, themes, or anything that can fall under a category. Then, because of categorizing, your posts get better visibility. If people have an interest in knowing more about social networking, then you can use #SocialNetworking as a hashtag.

Thus, your posts will be added to a specific category. Not only will your post be easier to find, but your posts’ reach will also increase. And in this case, it’s going to happen regardless if you’re connected to a person or not on LinkedIn.

There is also the case where you can choose to follow a specific hashtag. In this situation, you’ll always be up to date with any new information on that topic. Hashtags are versatile, and there aren’t just one or two of them that can be used. Because of that, it can get difficult to keep in touch with the information you’re interested in.

They can also help your posts trend. A trending post is also great for visibility purposes. Not only that, as it can also help your business connect to more people.

Is It a Good Idea to Use LinkedIn Hashtags?

It’s no secret that LinkedIn is a powerful platform to use. Making professional connections, marketing services, and producing content are only a few examples. There is something for every digital marketer to do. If you also get a LinkedIn hashtag involved in your post, you can catch the attention of more people. And not only.

Testing the waters on social media platforms happens all the time. And it’s quite necessary to see how the audience reacts to certain changes. Such was the case of hashtags too. LinkedIn introduced the concept of hashtags only in 2018.

Hashtags are usually one of the best methods to use when mapping your content. Linkedin hashtags are a safe choice for your strategy too. Even though Linkedin might be seen as a different social media platform, it is still safe.

And it is especially important when you want your posts to trend. The only thing you should keep in mind is that your strategy might be a bit different. For example, adding a lot of hashtags works better on Instagram, while on LinkedIn, it doesn’t do the trick.

But even so, there are a few hashtags that have been deemed as being the most followed ones in 2021. We’ve added the list below, so make sure you check it out:

  • #india
  • #innovation
  • #management
  • #humanresources
  • #digitalmarketing
  • #technology
  • #creativity
  • #future
  • #futurism
  • #entrepreneurship
  • #careers
  • #markets
  • #startups
  • #marketing
  • #socialmedia
  • #venturecapital
  • #socialnetworking
  • #leanstartups
  • #economy
  • #economics
  • #branding
  • #professionalwomen
  • #advertisingandmarketing
  • #gender
  • #womeninscience
  • #feminism
  • #motivation
  • #personaldevelopment
  • #jobinterviews
  • #investing

Let’s move on to some of the rules that you should consider.

LinkedIn Hashtag Rules

how to use Linkedin hashtags

Even trending hashtags have a few rules that need to be followed. We’ll quickly go through some of these LinkedIn hashtag rules, so you can get a better understanding of how they’re constructed.

LinkedIn Hashtag Rule #1

One of the first rules is that hashtags will always have the # sign before adding a keyword or a phrase. Hashtags shouldn’t include spaces or any kind of punctuation, also. The same principle applies to emojis or any symbols.

LinkedIn Hashtag Rule #2

If you need to add more words, make sure you’ve checked the rules for each platform. In the case of LinkedIn hashtags, it’s best if you keep the following format: #SocialMediaToday.

LinkedIn Hashtag Rule #3

Also, keeping your hashtags short and simple is the key. By doing so, they will be easier to follow and understand. A hashtag like #Socialmediatodayisallabout could not make any sense at first. However, if you do need to go for a longer hashtag, capitalize the words, to make it look better.

Why Use LinkedIn Hashtags?

why use LinkedIn hashtags

Now that we’ve got an understanding of how hashtags work and what they do exactly, it’s time to move on to the next question. Why should you use Linkedin hashtags? We’ve compiled a shortlist below, and we’ve also added the explanations afterward:

  • Start trending
  • Improve your reach
  • Boost engagement

Trending on social media is probably a dream come true for any digital marketer. It means that your post has reached a boost in popularity. This can influence people to engage with your content more.

Even though “trending posts” are more popular on platforms such as Twitter or Facebook, you can do that on LinkedIn too. And as a bonus, you can reach more people, both from inside and outside your network. If you’re trending on LinkedIn, your post is the first one to show up when someone is looking for the hashtag it is under.

It’s true that the post won’t stay there forever, but only for a short period of time. Even so, it can help you improve your reach.

Hashtags can also help you improve your reach, especially since users can also search for them. Most of the time, people you are connected to can see the posts you’ve shared. LinkedIn hashtags have the ability to increase your posts’ reach by making them available to users who are not connected to you.

Of course, this is going to depend on how you use the hashtags and the interests of these people. And this brings us to one final reason.

Boosting engagement. Hashtags are one effective tool to use when you want to boost your engagement. And that is because it also makes it easier for users to find your content. And the more people find and relate to your content, the bigger the boost. Just like in the case of improving your reach, though, make sure you use the proper hashtags.

How Can LinkedIn Hashtags Increase Your Follower Base?

how can linkedin hashtags increase your follower base

Standing out from the crowd can sometimes become difficult. Even more, when we’re talking about trending hashtags. And if you’re using a trending LinkedIn hashtag incorrectly, chances are that your post will not get you the desired results. The good news is that there are a few elements to take into consideration when using these hashtags. They’re all simple, yet effective methods.

So, how do you go around LinkedIn hashtags and use them to increase your follower base?

1. Make Sure They’re Relevant

Using a popular hashtag is great, but it might not always be the best idea. And it all has to do with how relevant it is for your business. It’s true, a trending hashtag holds more power in terms of visibility, but there’s a downside attached to it as well. Just because it’s popular, doesn’t always mean it will help you grow your network. Hashtags need to be in line with your page and business, so always check for that.

For example, if your business concentrates on medical equipment, a social media hashtag might not be the most appropriate. The content you’re sharing will not be in line with what the audience expects. And this will also have an influence on the interaction with your post.

2. Research Them

LinkedIn can help you with a set of recommended hashtags, but you shouldn’t rely just on those. Finding hashtags is an easy process and all you need is the # and the LinkedIn search bar. Even one word is enough to generate a list of hashtags that can be relevant to your business and interests.

Once you’ve clicked on a hashtag, you can see how many followers it has and the posts that are using it. Make sure you also check the number of followers. Hashtags that have millions of followers or just a few of them might not showcase your content as you’d like.

You can also determine what hashtags are specific to your business type and use them accordingly.

3. Less Is More

Creating a post that consists only of hashtags might not bring you the desired results. One of the most important elements to take into consideration is that hashtags should not be overused in general. And the same goes for Linkedin hashtags.

Try to stick to a maximum of 3 to 4 hashtags. In some cases, you can also add a 5th hashtag. Even though adding many hashtags to a post has proven to be successful on platforms such as Instagram, Linkedin is different. Also, using the # symbols in front of every word will make the post difficult to understand.

4. Hashtag Formula

How posts are displayed under a specific hashtag, be it trending or not, is influenced by an algorithm. There is one formula that seems to work on Instagram though. It’s usually recommended to use 3 hashtags in your posts, to increase your reach.

It’s also best to use only 1 or 2 of those trending hashtags and then go for one which is more niche-oriented. In this way, your reach can be increased by those trending hashtags. From there on, you can address another segment of the audience with the niche one.

Using only trending hashtags means that there’s a higher chance for your post to get lost among other ones. On the other hand, hashtags that are not that popular can still help you grow your network base.

Even if that happens at a maybe slower, but still steady pace. This is why combining the types of hashtags is useful. You still get the exposure you need for your business while addressing many segments of your audience.

Last, but not least in regards to the “hashtag formula”, it’s best if you add them at the end of your post. Of course, if you can play around with the trending hashtags and form a simple and playful post, go for it. But most recommendations point towards keeping the hashtags for the end of your post.

5. Make It Public

If your profile is private, the content you post will be available only to your connections. Having connections is great, but your main goal is to reach more people or businesses. And that won’t really be possible if you’ve configured your profile to be private.

It’s worth checking if your settings are updated so that you can start sharing your content publicly. Not even trending hashtags can surpass a private profile. In this case, promotion efforts might not show the expected results.

Final Thoughts

LinkedIn hashtags make it easier for your content to be discovered by the public. Thus, they can be considered a great way to grow your network. Of course, there are some rules to using these hashtags. In the end, though, they’ve been designed to ensure your success.

Depending on your business needs, you can determine whether you should add (or not) these hashtags to your posts. But if you can use them and benefit from more traffic from them, why not take advantage?

As long as the hashtags you use are suitable for your business, you are on the right track. Pair them with catchy and great content, and wait for the results.

One last thing you have to do is take into account how many hashtags you include in your post. Keep everything short and simple, and there’s nothing left to worry about.

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Article written by

Article by

Alexandra
Alexandra

Content writer at SocialBee

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